Biblical studies is a highly technical and diverse field. This authoritative and state-of-the-art survey of original research will therefore be invaluable to scholars and students who need to command linguistic, historical, literary, and philosophical skills. Forty-five original contributions by leading figures in the discipline review and analyze current thinking and work and give critical examinations of the progress and direction of debates.
I. On the Discipline
History of the discipline in the last 70 years: Old Testament, J. W. Rogerson
History of the discipline in the last 70 years, Robert Morgan
Archaeology, John Bartlett
Ancient Near East: Mesopotamia, W. G. Lambert
Ancient Near East: Egypt, Kenneth Kitchen
Qumran studies, Philip Davies
Study of the Graeco-Roman world, Peter Richardson
Diaspora and rabbinic Judaism, Catherine Hezser
II. Languages, translation, and textual transmission of the Bible
Language and translation of the Old Testament, John Elwolde
Language, translation, versions, and text of the Apocrypha, Michael Knibb
Language and translation of the New Testament, Stanley E. Porter
Ancient versions and textual transmission of the Old Testament, Gerard Norton
Versions and textual transmission of the New Testament, Neville Birdsall
III. Historical and social study of the Bible
Introduction, Keith W. Whitelam
Israel to the end of the Persian period, J. W. Rogerson
Israel from the rise of Hellenism to 70 CE, Lester L. Grabbe
The life and teaching of Jesus and the rise of Christianity, Craig A. Evans
Priesthood, temple(s), and sacrifice, Robert Hayward
Law, Gordon Wenham
Scribes and synagogues, Lester L. Grabbe
Movements, Judith M. Lieu
Prophecy, Deborah Rooke
Apocalyptic, Philip Davies
Wisdom, Katharine Dell
Novella, Eric Gruen
Gospels, Richard Burridge
Epistles, Judith M. Lieu
IV. The composition of the Bible
The growth of the Old Testament, Reinhard G. Kratz
The growth of the Apocrypha, Alison Salvesen
The growth of the New Testament, John Court
Authors, books, and readers in the ancient world, Alan Millard
V. Methods in biblical scholarship
Archaeology, John Bartlett
Textual criticism, Arie van de Kooij
Form, source, and redaction criticism, Johannes P. Floss
Rhetorical and new literary criticism, Margaret Mitchell
Feminist and womanist criticism, Marie-Theres Wacker
Social, political, and ideological criticism, Chris Rowland
VI. The interpretation of the Bible
Old Testament theology, Walter Brueggemann
New Testament theology, J. D. G. Dunn
Biblical theology, Bernd Janowski
The Bible in ethics, Eryl W. Davies
Jewish interpretation of the Bible, Jonathan Magonet
VII. The authority of the Bible
Canon, Lee Martin McDonald
Fundamentalism(s), Harriet A. Harris
Historical criticism and biblical authority, J. W. Rogerson